This article will provide customers with information regarding best practices necessary to design, deploy, customize and manage an Office 2010 installation. This article will focus on tools to customize and maintain Office 2010, upgrading to Office 2010, various types of deployment methods, volume activation, and multi-language deployments.

Choose a deployment method for Office.

• Precache the local installation source. Provides information and procedures to deploy the local installation source separately before you deploy Office
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179231.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179231(office.12).aspx)
• Run Setup from the local installation source for Office. Provides information and procedures to run Setup directly from the local installation source.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179070.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179070(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office to users who are not administrators. Provides information about how to install Office on computers where users lack administrative permissions.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178988.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178988(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office with limited network capacity. Provides information about how to deploy Office in an environment that has limited network resources.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178977.aspx)
• Deploy Office by running Setup from a network share. Provides information about how to run Setup from a network installation point to deploy Office, and how to test in a nonproduction environment before you deploy to a production environment.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff521767.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179093(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office by using System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Provides detailed technical guidance on the processes and procedures when you use Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to deploy Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff404178.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd630737(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office by using System Center Essentials. Provides detailed technical guidance on the processes and procedures when you use Microsoft System Center Essentials to deploy Office
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff404177.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179040(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office by using Group Policy startup scripts. Provides detailed technical guidance on the processes and procedures when you use Group Policy to assign computer startup scripts to deploy Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff602181.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179134(office.12).aspx)
• Deploy Office by using Microsoft Application Virtualization. Provides detailed technical guidance on the processes and procedures when you use Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) to deploy Office in a medium-sized organization.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff602185.aspx)

Plan desktop configurations for Office.

• Plan for Outlook. Guides you through the things to consider when you deploy Microsoft Outlook.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff394406.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178994(office.12).aspx)
• Plan for OneNote. Describes how to plan a deployment of Microsoft OneNote.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff521768.aspx)
• Plan for SharePoint Workspace / Groove.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee649106.aspx)
• Plan for Visio. Describes some of the customizations and options that are available in Microsoft Visio.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff468688.aspx)
• Plan Group Policy for Office. Provides information about how to use Group Policy to configure and enforce settings for Office applications.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178969.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178969(office.12).aspx)
• Plan security for Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179171.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179171(office.12).aspx)
• Plan for Multilanguage deployment of Office. Discusses planning considerations for deploying Office with multiple languages.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee942200.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303393(office.12).aspx)
• Plan for virtualization of Office. Describes what virtualization is, how you can use virtualization in your organization, and which method and type is best for your environment.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee692004.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=939796)
• Plan for Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Services). Provides information about how to plan the deployment of Office by using Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Services).
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179055.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179055(office.12).aspx)
• Plan for accessibility in Office. Provides an overview of accessibility features in Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff602182.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/office2007/)

Plan for volume activation.

• Volume activation overview. Provides an overview of Microsoft Volume Licensing and Office Activation Technologies.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624349.aspx)
• Plan volume activation. Describes how to plan for volume activation by using Office Activation Technologies.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624358.aspx)
• Plan MAK independent activation. Describes how to plan for a deployment of Office by using Multiple Activation Key (MAK) independent activation.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff603511.aspx)
• Plan MAK proxy activation. Describes how to plan for a deployment of Office by using MAK proxy activation.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff603512.aspx)
• Plan KMS activation. Describes how to plan for a deployment of Office by using Management Service (KMS) activation.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff603508.aspx)
• Volume activation FAQ. Provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the various aspects of volume activation of Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff678211.aspx)
• Volume activation scenarios.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee705504.aspx)

Migration and Upgrade Strategy for Office

• Planning an Upgrade to Office. This article describes the upgrade process for Microsoft Office 2010, including the various upgrade options and data migration paths. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624354.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd188670%28office.12%29.aspx)
• User State Migration Tool 4.0 User’s Guide. Windows® User State Migration Tool (USMT) 4.0 is a scriptable command-line tool that provides a highly-customizable user-profile migration experience for IT professionals. USMT includes two components, ScanState and LoadState, and a set of modifiable .xml files.
  Office 2010 / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd560801%28WS.10%29.aspx)
• Migration of User Data Registry Keys.  This article lists — in alphabetical order for Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007 Microsoft Office system applications — the registry keys that are migrated when you use either the in-place upgrade or the uninstall-upgrade of Microsoft Office 2010.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624352.aspx)
• Plan and Prepare for Migration of Files.  Changes such as the new file format and new Setup architecture require careful planning and preparation before upgrading. Your migration planning will include evaluating the files in your environment, identifying potential conversion issues, and reviewing migration considerations for each program within Office system. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179179.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179144(office.12).aspx)
• Office Environment Assessment Tool (OEAT).  OEAT is a free downloadable executable (.exe) file that scans client computers for add-ins and applications that interact with Microsoft Office 97, Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft Office XP, Microsoft Office 2003, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and Microsoft Office 2010. You use OEAT during the assessment phase of your application compatibility and remediation project. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee683865.aspx)
• Office Code Compatibility Inspector (OCCI).  The Microsoft Office Code Compatibility Inspector is a tool that you can use in Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Microsoft Word 2010, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 to troubleshoot and resolve issues with your Microsoft Visual Basic for Application (VBA) Macros and add-ins. The tool scans your code for known compatibility issues, and then notifies you if it finds items in the code from the object model that have changed in some way or have been removed. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee833946.aspx)
• 64-bit Editions of Office 2010. The 64-bit systems can use more virtual and physical memory than 32-bit systems. This lets users work with much larger data sets than they could previously, and to analyze and solve large computational problems. Microsoft Office 2010 introduces native 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office products to take advantage of this larger capacity. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee681792.aspx)

Customizing the Installation of Office

Customize setup

• Customize Office overview. Summary of customization tools and methods for Microsoft Office, including the Office Customization Tool (OCT), the Config.xml file, or the Setup command-line options.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee656738(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179132(office.12).aspx)
• Customize Setup before installing Office. Information and procedures related to customize Setup before installing Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179121(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179121(office.12).aspx)
• Configure feature installation states for Office. Information and procedures related to customize Setup to configure feature installation states.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179043(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179043(office.12).aspx)
• Configure user settings for Office. information and procedures related to configuring Office user settings by using the Office Customization Tool (OCT).
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178990(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178990(office.12).aspx)
• Create different configurations of Office for different groups of users. information and procedures related to creating unique configurations of Office for each group.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178950(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178950(office.12).aspx)
• Import an Office Setup customization file. Information and procedures used to import an OCT Setup customization file (.msp file) in Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee681791(office.14).aspx)
• Configure a silent installation of Office. Information and procedures related to configuring a silent installation by using the Config.xml file.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd630736(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd630736(office.12).aspx)
• Run arbitrary commands with installations of Office. Information and procedures related to customizing Setup to run an arbitrary command or a lightweight executable to in conjunction with the installation of an Office product.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179200(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179200(office.12).aspx)
• Create custom configurations of Office. How to deploy an initial customized installation of Office to users in an organization.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178960(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178960(office.12).aspx)
• View XML content from Office Customization Tool customization files. Administrators can use a sample Microsoft Visual Basic script to view the settings that are stored in Setup customization (.msp) files. 
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179027(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179027(office.12).aspx)

Customize specific features

• Customize language setup and settings. Manage the distribution of multiple language versions when you deploy Microsoft Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd162397(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303393(office.12).aspx)
• Customize the Office user interface. Resources to help customize the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface (UI) in Office.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff468686(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178959(office.12).aspx)
• Enforce settings by using Group Policy. Procedural information for using the Group Policy Management Console and the Group Policy Object Editor together with the Office Administrative Templates.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179081(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179081(office.12).aspx)
• Disable user interface items and shortcut keys. Background and procedural information related to disabling user interface (UI) items and keyboard shortcuts in Office by using Group Policy.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179143(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179143(office.12).aspx)

Configure security

You can configure security settings by using the Office Customization Tool, and by using the Office Administrative Templates (.adm or admx files) with Group Policy.

• Configure security settings by using the Office Customization Tool (Overview)
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff400327.aspx#proc1)
• Configure security settings by using Group Policy (Overview)
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff400327.aspx#proc2)
• Configure trusted locations and trusted publishers settings by using the OCT and Group Policy. Disable trusted locations, specify shared folders as trusted locations, and restrict trusted locations.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179039.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178948(office.12).aspx)
• Configure security settings for ActiveX controls, add-ins, and macros by using the OCT and Group Policy. Disable ActiveX controls, change the way ActiveX controls are initialized, disable add-ins/configure behavior, and configure settings for macros.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179076.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179038(office.12).aspx)
• Configure privacy options using the OCT and Group Policy. Maximize the protection of private and personal information in the Office files.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179123.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178978(office.12).aspx)
• Configure document protection settings using the OCT and Group Policy. Configure encryption settings for Office Open XML and Office 97-2003 format files.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179125.aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179080(office.12).aspx)

Configure Outlook

• Configure Outlook Anywhere. Requirements and options for configuring a group of Outlook user accounts to use Outlook Anywhere.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179036(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179036(office.12).aspx)
• Configure Cached Exchange Mode. How to configure Cached Exchange Mode for Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail accounts in Microsoft Outlook.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179175(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179175(office.12).aspx)
• Configure Exchange Server send/receive settings. How to define Send/Receive groups for users' Microsoft Exchange Server accounts and folders and specify tasks that are performed on each group during a Send/Receive operation in Microsoft Outlook.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178987(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178987(office.12).aspx)
• Configure multiple Exchange accounts. How to configure multiple Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail accounts for a Microsoft Outlook 2010 profile.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee815819(office.14).aspx)
• Configure security and protection. How to configure e-mail security, protection, and privacy in Microsoft Outlook.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303396(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303396(office.12).aspx)
• Customize Outlook profiles by using a PRF file. Use the Microsoft Outlook profile file (.prf) to quickly create MAPI profiles for users, how to edit the profiles, and how to apply the profiles.
  Office 2010 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179062(office.14).aspx) / Office 2007 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179062(office.12).aspx)

Note This is a "FAST PUBLISH" article created directly from within the Microsoft support organization. The information contained herein is provided as-is in response to emerging issues. As a result of the speed in making it available, the materials may include typographical errors and may be revised at any time without notice. See Terms of Use (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=151500) for other considerations.